-Raya-
The morning light poured through my window in soft streaks, the kind that made everything look dreamlike for a second before my mind fully woke up. I blinked at the ceiling, took a deep breath, and stretched until I felt that satisfying pop in my spine. My body was still sore from yesterday’s practice—not in a painful way, more like a reminder that I pushed myself.
I smiled to myself.
Tuesday.
No practice today, but still a full school day ahead. And I wanted to show up for it.
I sat up, brushing my hair out of my face and swinging my legs over the side of the bed. For a while, I just sat there, soaking in the quiet. A few birds chirped outside the window, and somewhere in the house, faint kitchen sounds echoed—drawers opening, the faint clink of cutlery.
I stood, stretched ag
